Wagon-body.



A 296. LAND'VEHKDLES, BODH-ZS & TOPS Na. 819,057. PATENTED MAY 1, 1906.

g P. 0. GERHART.

WAGON BODY.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 21, 1905.

- lateral UNITED STATES PA TENT oFFIoE.

PAUL C. GERHART, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

' WAGON-BODY.

N 0. 819,057. Specification of Letters Patent. i atezseci May 1, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL C. GERHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wagon- Bodies, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in delivery-wagon bodies; and it consists in the novel construction of body more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of a delivery-wagon, showing my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitu nal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof.

The object of my invention is to construct a delivery-wagon body designed especially for apers, periodicals, and the like, which shalfhave a maximum storing capacity, one which shall be perfectly balanced, thereby both removing any dead weight from the draft-animal and removing any tendency to lift the animal off its feet, one from which its contents cannot become lost, one whose contents is readily accessible from any position in the wagon, one which permits the contents to be conveniently loaded, one making special provision for accommodating the driver, and one possessing further and other advantages better apparent from a detailed iicscription of the invention, which is as fol ows:

Referring to the drawings, A is the axle of the vehicle, W the wheels, and S the springs. The springs are coupled to the under side of the we on-body jointly with the shafts B, a orizontal offset 1 being formed on each side of the wagon-body to bring these parts B S Within the planes of the sides of the ody, Fig. 3. The axle A passes between the lower or depending portions of the main front and rear compartments 0 G, into which the wagon-body is respectively divided, the transverse vertical wall 2 formin the front wall of the rear compartment and ividing the latter from the front com artment above the plane of the offsets 1, an the wall 3 forming the rear wall of the lower portion of the front compartment. Disposed in the plane of the offsets 1 in the rear com artment C and secured to the vertical inc osing walls thereof? is a ledge 4, whose inner edgehas a graceful l U-shaped curve, said curve continuing in the form of a reverse extension 6 on the longer,

side of the body, the said body, as fully shown in Fig. 1, being longer on one side than on the other, the extension defining the excess in length being continued rearwardly. Advanta e of this extension is taken by the driver, W10 can use that portion thereof up to the dotted line a, for a seat while driving and can'use the balance of the ledge 4 for storin papers. So,too,can papers bestored away eneath the ledge 4 in the rear compartment C The reverse curve 6 also serves as a graceful guiding edge for the body of the driver in mounting the vehicle. The rear compartment is provided with the rear wingboards 5 5', forming inclosing walls for the papers stored under the ledge 4. The sides of the body are provided at the top with mudguards 6.

The front compartment C is preferably formed at the upper front corner with a sloping panel or wall 7, to the rear edge of which is hinged a lid 8 of the same area, so that the lid can be swung open and folded against the panel, as shown by dotted position thereof in Fig. 2. To the upper edge of the wall 2 is hinged a gate 9, which when swung to a closing position may be coupled to the free edge of the lid 8 by means of straps 10 on the order of those used in carriages for securin curtains.

The river, occupying the inclosure within the curved ed e of the ledge 4, can upon opening the Ii 8 and gate 9 fill both compartments of the body with perfect ease and ittle exertion, it being possib e to reach to the very bottom of the front compartment without difficulty. The two compartments thus filled balance the body about the axle. Of course the main advantages of the present invention arise from the disposition of the compartments C and C on opposite sides of the axle and from the extension of one side of the body beyond the o posite side, all other,

advantages being inci ental or ancillary to these.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wagon-body having contiguous front and rear compartments depending below the line of the axle, and having suitable provision for the transverse passage of the wagonaxle between them, one side of the wagonbody bein longer than the opposite side, and a ledge fo lowing the incloslng walls of the body and having one end extended to conform to the lon er side of the body, substantially as set forfil.

2. A wagon-body having suitable lateral 5 offsets for the accommodation of the vehicleing the top of the front compartment, a vertical wall separating the upper'portions of the compartments, a gate hinged to the said wall and adapted to close against the free edge of the lid, and means for couplin the shafts, and divided into a front and rear C0111 "'f166 edges of the lid and gate for the o osed partment respectively, the adjacent walls of the compartments below the plane of the offsets being separated to accommodate the I o axle of the vehicle, a ledge disposed along the vertical inclosing walls of the rear compartment, and substantially in the plane of the ofl'sets, one end of the ledge extending rearwardly beyond the opposite end, a lid for the 15 front compartment and a gate for the rear compartment adapted to close against the free edge of the lid, substantially as set forth.

3. A Wagon-body divided into a front and rear compartment, a lid hinged to and clospositions thereof, substantially as set forth. 4. A wagon-body having one side lon er than the side opposite thereto, and a ledge 01- lowing the inclosing walls of the body and having one end extended to conform to the longer side of the body, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PAUL C. GERHART. WVitnesses EMIL STAREK, M. B. BELT. 

